Automobile bumper



May 15, 1923.

l :.v. ALLEN AUTOMOBILE BUMPER Originai Filed Nov. 4, 192; fig] INVEQNTR.

I zwcwcl 6n c WE ZQ/ W ATTORNEY Patented May 15, 1923.

' "UNITED;STATES o- Flc-a;

nnwaan v. ALLEN,*QF WAUKEGAN, rrririvorsfl AUTOMO ILE B MPER."

Application "-filed November 4, 1921, Serial No. 512,774.; Itenewed 19,11923.".

To a ll'whioin itmay concern 1 .Be it known that I,.ED 'ARDV. ALLEN, a.citizen of the United- States, residing at WVaukegan, .in thecountyofLake and State of Illinois, have inventedcertaijn newand usefulImprovements in Automobile Bumpers, of which the followingisaspecification.

My inventionrelates to'fenders, bumpers and like protective devices forselfpropel-' ling vehicles, and its 'generalobject is toremedy defectsof' construction and. ar-

rangement vaswell as defects in-theprotec tive properties of existingtypes ofbumpers.

hicle sofara'sits. owerofresistanceto im-,

pacts s concerned, without be ng actuallyan ntegral part of saidvehicle, ,or wh1ch,;

Anotherobject is to provide a spring-supported or cushioned bumper-whichis arranged to form substantially. a ,yielding continuation of the framei itself of the vein other words, does not depend whollyupon theshearingstrength or resistance of .the usual bolt or clampfastenerswhich are so frequently brokeninminor collisions making itnecessary to carry the fender within the passenger space of the machineand being without its protection until replaced. A still further objectof this invention is to provide protection in front of the wheels andthe wheel spindles, or the corners of the machine, substantially equalto that provided for the intermediate portions or the-radiator area, it.having been found that these corner and wheel portions are the mostfrequently wrecked owing to the partial veering off to one side intheeffort to avoid a threatened collision.

And the invention consists in the novel construction, combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in theaccompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a front end View of the outlines of anautomobile, with my invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the bumper together with a broken awayportion of the automobile frame rails to which said bumper is attached.

Figure 3 is a front view of a modification adapted for bars round orrectangular in cross section. s

Figure 4 is an enlarged section taken substantially on the line 4-4 ofFigure 2.

In the several views2 ,;and-- represent the well-known forwardly ganddownwardly pro ecting spring supporting extensions of;- tllQSlClG-ItllSofthe usual automobile-frame y towhich bumpers are commonly. bolted in,Y

such a manne-r as to be frequently sheared off. These extensions orhorns? areJ-usw ally .of channel-bar -form,' with the channels ,4f'acing each other, .or on; theinside.

The extensions are forwardly .of the cross; bar-T5 of the frame, each.usuallysupporting one end-of a springtit. I In the present improvement"the channels 4 as well as the frame-bar 5 areutilized to providemore,substantial;support than heretofore for the'forwardreachesorarmsof. the bumper, and the latter isfin the form of a seriesofopposingcurves or bends of fiat-bars, 6. and .7 that ,are reverselycurved.

edgewise in a vertical plane; making a series f'fwaves one of which;bars terminates in upwardly.inclined ho-rns 8 while the other terminatesin similar,,- ,but downwardlyi11- clined, Lhorns ,or' ends :9. The,projections 8 and 9 that are coextensive in lateral projection andprotection with the intermediate portions of the bumper. are in bothforms of construction supported upon and secured to arms 10 and 11 inthe Figures 1 and 2 construction and similar arms 10 and 11 inthemodified, or Figure v3, construction. Each arm terminates at itsinner endin a foot or right angle lug 12 which bears against andparallels the front rail frame 5 as shown in Figures 2 and 4.

The bumper-bars These arms are secured to the rail projections 2 and 3by double or U bolts 14, pass-- ing .throughthe usual washer strap 14and provided with nuts 18.- These U-bolts and strap embrace the frameprojections and the bumper arms and hold them against accidentaldisplacement, but do not, like the bolts in ordinary constructions,ybearthe strains of a collision, such strains beingin the, present instancesubstantially longitudinally of the sideframe rails of the vehicle; Theforward portion of each of said arms is in the form of an outward andhorizontal curve 15 terminating in a loop or eye 16 which embraces oneleg'of a U- bolt 17, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4.

In Figures 1* and 2 the flat bars 6 and 7 overlie each other side-waysat 19, 20 and 21 while in Figure?) the bars 6'. and 7 are spaced apartverticallytothe extent of: the thickness of the loop 16. which isinter-,

posed between the endbends of the bumper and curved toward each other.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with the channeled side andwith the front-frame-rails of an 7 auto-mobile, of bumper-supportingarms which are supported against impacts by said front rail andsupported against lateral movement in the channels of said sideer'ails,

and a bumper clamped to said arms.

'2. The "combination with theprojectrng horns of an automobile frameside and with the front rail, of arms having their ends bearing agalnstsaid front railsand imparting stralns o-fbumper impacts thereto, clampsremovab-ly securing said arms to said side rails against lateralmovement,

and means for securing bumper bars to said arms.

I 3; The combination with the forwardly projecting portions of the frameside rails and with the front rail,'of a pair of arms "f having feet orlugs paralleling and bearing a ainst said front rail and having alsoout-' w ardly from each other curved forward portions, means on thelatter for securing a u bumper thereto, and'means for securing said armsto said forwardly projecting portions.

- l. The i combination with the channels in the forward projections ofautomobile frame rails and the front cross-bar rail of said frame, ofbumper supporting arms having 1 inner ends bearing loosely against saidfront cross-bar rail and means securing said arms in theohannels in thesides of said forward projections. I

5. The combination with the forwan dly proj eotin g cross-bar of theautomobile frame, of a flair of arms having inner ends bent out at rightangles to form feet or lugs which bear frame portions and the frontagainst said front cross-bar, said arms having on their outer endspartsada'pted to be engaged by U-bolt clamps, a pair of oppositelytogether at their meetin portions, a pair of supportingarms having loopsor eyes at their outer ends adapted to be engaged by said clampingmeans, and means for clamp-'5 curved bars secured at meeting curveportions to said clamps, clamping said arms to said pro ect1ng frame"-and means a ing together said arms and the side-rails of said frame.

In testimony whereof 'I signed my name.

have hereunto 1 EDWARD v. ALLEN. r

